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Personal Financial Advisors

$95.39K Median Salary 21.5K Job Openings (Annual Projection) 4.6% Job Growth

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About This Career

Advise clients on financial plans using knowledge of tax and investment strategies, securities, insurance, pension plans, and real estate. Duties include assessing clients' assets, liabilities, cash flow, insurance coverage, tax status, and financial objectives. May also buy and sell financial assets for clients.

Reported Job Titles

Certified Financial Planner (CFP), Financial Advisor, Financial Consultant, Financial Counselor, Financial Planner, Investment Advisor, Portfolio Manager, Wealth Advisor

Career data shown for:

Skills You'll Need

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Abilities

Oral Comprehension

Oral Expression

Speech Clarity

Written Comprehension

Written Expression

Deductive Reasoning

Inductive Reasoning

Near Vision

Speech Recognition

Mathematical Reasoning

Number Facility

Problem Sensitivity

Category Flexibility

Fluency of Ideas

Information Ordering

Originality

Selective Attention

Knowledge

Customer and Personal Service

Economics and Accounting

English Language

Mathematics

Psychology

Sales and Marketing

Law and Government

Skills

Active Listening

Reading Comprehension

Speaking

Writing

Critical Thinking

Judgment and Decision Making

Complex Problem Solving

Service Orientation

Persuasion

Social Perceptiveness

Active Learning

Mathematics

Systems Analysis

Systems Evaluation

Coordination

Monitoring

Instructing

Management of Financial Resources

Negotiation

Time Management

Technology Skills

Data base user interface and query software

Presentation software

Financial analysis software

Customer relationship management CRM software

Document management software

Spreadsheet software

Enterprise resource planning ERP software

Word processing software

Accounting software

Electronic mail software

Development environment software

Communications server software

Office suite software

Object or component oriented development software

Analytical or scientific software

Internet browser software

Compliance software

Project management software

Calendar and scheduling software

Tools

Notebook computers

Personal digital assistant PDAs or organizers

Tablet computers

Desktop computers

Personal computers

Desktop calculator

Abilities

Oral Comprehension: The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
Oral Expression: The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
Speech Clarity: The ability to speak clearly so others can understand you.
Written Comprehension: The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.
Written Expression: The ability to communicate information and ideas in writing so others will understand.
Deductive Reasoning: The ability to apply general rules to specific problems to produce answers that make sense.
Inductive Reasoning: The ability to combine pieces of information to form general rules or conclusions (includes finding a relationship among seemingly unrelated events).
Near Vision: The ability to see details at close range (within a few feet of the observer).
Speech Recognition: The ability to identify and understand the speech of another person.
Mathematical Reasoning: The ability to choose the right mathematical methods or formulas to solve a problem.
Number Facility: The ability to add, subtract, multiply, or divide quickly and correctly.
Problem Sensitivity: The ability to tell when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong. It does not involve solving the problem, only recognizing that there is a problem.
Category Flexibility: The ability to generate or use different sets of rules for combining or grouping things in different ways.
Fluency of Ideas: The ability to come up with a number of ideas about a topic (the number of ideas is important, not their quality, correctness, or creativity).
Information Ordering: The ability to arrange things or actions in a certain order or pattern according to a specific rule or set of rules (e.g., patterns of numbers, letters, words, pictures, mathematical operations).
Originality: The ability to come up with unusual or clever ideas about a given topic or situation, or to develop creative ways to solve a problem.
Selective Attention: The ability to concentrate on a task over a period of time without being distracted.

Knowledge

Customer and Personal Service: Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.
Economics and Accounting: Knowledge of economic and accounting principles and practices, the financial markets, banking, and the analysis and reporting of financial data.
English Language: Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
Mathematics: Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.
Psychology: Knowledge of human behavior and performance; individual differences in ability, personality, and interests; learning and motivation; psychological research methods; and the assessment and treatment of behavioral and affective disorders.
Sales and Marketing: Knowledge of principles and methods for showing, promoting, and selling products or services. This includes marketing strategy and tactics, product demonstration, sales techniques, and sales control systems.
Law and Government: Knowledge of laws, legal codes, court procedures, precedents, government regulations, executive orders, agency rules, and the democratic political process.

Skills

Active Listening: Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
Reading Comprehension: Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work-related documents.
Speaking: Talking to others to convey information effectively.
Writing: Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.
Critical Thinking: Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions, or approaches to problems.
Judgment and Decision Making: Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.
Complex Problem Solving: Identifying complex problems and reviewing related information to develop and evaluate options and implement solutions.
Service Orientation: Actively looking for ways to help people.
Persuasion: Persuading others to change their minds or behavior.
Social Perceptiveness: Being aware of others' reactions and understanding why they react as they do.
Active Learning: Understanding the implications of new information for both current and future problem-solving and decision-making.
Mathematics: Using mathematics to solve problems.
Systems Analysis: Determining how a system should work and how changes in conditions, operations, and the environment will affect outcomes.
Systems Evaluation: Identifying measures or indicators of system performance and the actions needed to improve or correct performance, relative to the goals of the system.
Coordination: Adjusting actions in relation to others' actions.
Monitoring: Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
Instructing: Teaching others how to do something.
Management of Financial Resources: Determining how money will be spent to get the work done, and accounting for these expenditures.
Negotiation: Bringing others together and trying to reconcile differences.
Time Management: Managing one's own time and the time of others.

Technology Skills

Data base user interface and query software: Blackboard software; Database software; Microsoft Access; Yardi software
Presentation software: Microsoft PowerPoint
Financial analysis software: Delphi Technology
Customer relationship management CRM software: Blackbaud The Raiser's Edge; Microsoft Dynamics; Salesforce.com Salesforce CRM
Document management software: Adobe Systems Adobe Acrobat; Filing system software; Records management software; Transcription system software
Spreadsheet software: Microsoft Excel
Enterprise resource planning ERP software: Oracle JD Edwards EnterpriseOne; Oracle PeopleSoft; Oracle PeopleSoft Financials; SAP software
Word processing software: 3M Post-it App; Evernote; Google Docs; Microsoft Word
Accounting software: Billing software; Bookkeeping software; Intuit QuickBooks; Sage 50 Accounting
Electronic mail software: IBM Notes; Microsoft Exchange; Microsoft Outlook
Development environment software: Adobe Systems Adobe Creative Suite
Communications server software: IBM Domino
Office suite software: Microsoft Office software
Object or component oriented development software: Oracle Java
Analytical or scientific software: Statistical analysis software; TapRooT
Internet browser software: Web browser software
Compliance software: ESS Compliance Suite; Mannus Compliance: EHS; Primatech AUDITWorks
Project management software: Mavenlink; Microsoft Project
Calendar and scheduling software: Appointment scheduling software